Apple Pie Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Icing

It’s time to start thinking about fall ~ cooler weather and Back To School.  I was thinking about these two things and thought it was time to try these A is for Apple ~ Apple Pie Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Icing.  The icing can double as a delicious sauce for ice cream and a dipping sauce for apples.

The recipe is pretty simple and the cupcakes have a great texture ~ a little heavier than a regular cupcake but packed with flavor and super moist!

Apple Pie CupcakesIngredients

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and choppedInstructions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.
• Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. *note this mixture will be thick and not like a traditional cake batter.

Stir in your chopped apples.

When you add the apples to the batter, the consistency of the batter becomes much more manageable.Place paper baking cups in 2 {12-cup} muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.

Now, you’re ready for the icing.  This icing recipe can be halved for use in glazing the cupcakes only but if you want extra sauce to use for ice cream, apples, etc., then make the full recipe below storing your unused Salted Caramel Sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  You can heat the sauce in the microwave to serve it warm.

Salted Caramel Icing

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter
• 1 {16-ounce} package dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in evaporated milk, baking soda, and corn syrup; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and let cool completely {about 1 hour}. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar to caramel mixture, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Use immediately to glaze cupcakes.

Recipe based on a recipe from simply sweet Best Cupcakes Ever! by Oxmoor House.